It's Not TV: It's the Fight to Be the New HBO

Signature star: Jon HammProgramming Philosophy:Past: original shows run by a visionary writer.Present: sequels and split seasonsProgramming: Stuck in 2007: stream recent episodes at amctv.com; farm out old seasons to NetflixPrestige bait:Mad MenGore that pays the bills:The Walking DeadMove made with one eye on Netflix: Paid up for Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul to keep it away from NetflixBoldest move: Creating the Talking after-shows for people who want to watch B-listers recap episodesHead-scratcher: Splitting the last season of Mad Men into two seven-episode chunks to run in 2014 and 2015Creative geniuses and bitchy comment about rival: Joel Stillerman and Charlie Collier; "If you were interested in [Breaking Bad], we made sure you had a chance to see it," says Collier, in response to the idea that Netflix made the series popular.

Signature star: Emilia ClarkeProgramming Philosophy: High-gloss takes on classic TV genres—with nudity and swearingProgramming: Delight HBO cable subscribers with Go app, annoy everyone else who can't get itPrestige bait:The NewsroomGore that pays the bills:Game of ThronesMove made with one eye on Netflix: Did its first straight-to-series order in years in the wake of Netflix's House of Cards dealBoldest move: Sticking with Treme and The NewsroomHead-scratcher: Chasing Netflix into Scandinavia, where it has struggled out of the gateCreative genius and bitchy comment about rival:Michael Lombardo on Netflix not releasing ratings: "It's curious. I don't know what to make of it."

Signature star: Kevin BaconProgramming Philosophy: Cable-style, limited-run event series with big-name starsProgramming: Slowly leech all the fun out of Hulu, which it owns with Disney and ComcastPrestige bait: Greg Kinnear's forthcoming legal drama, RakeGore that pays the bills:The FollowingMove made with one eye on Netflix: Made three straight-to-series orders for the 2014 TV seasonBoldest move: Ordering the Egyptian period drama Hieroglyph straight to seriesHead-scratcher: Stars in Danger: The High DiveCreative genius and bitchy comment about rival:Kevin Reilly on Netflix not releasing ratings: "Then there are services like Netflix that are speaking to an unreported mystery audience."

Signature star: Kevin SpaceyProgramming Philosophy: Subscriber data reveals which stars and genres to bet on, then get out of the way (mostly)Programming: Recommend new titles through a slick player that works across hundreds of devicesPrestige bait:House of CardsGore that pays the bills:Hemlock GroveBoldest move: Green-lighting Orange Is the New Black, which lacked a big-time pedigreeHead-scratcher: They knew Derek was about a mentally challenged nursing home volunteer, right?Creative genius and bitchy comment about rival:Ted Sarandos: "Playing the odds game, where [you] make 20 pilots and make two and one [series] sticks...that's a good business?"